Sunday Sermons

God speaks through Gospels where He expresses His divine will to human beings.  Before we start reading any biblical passage, our minds must be first conceived of the biblical, geographical, historical and theological background which will help us understand the passage meaningfully taking into consideration each and every aspect. Then only the true meaning will be brought forth.

            Today’s Gospel is taken from the Gospel of St. Mathew 25:14-30

Gospel, Matthew 25:14-30

¹⁴ 'It is like a man about to go abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted hisproperty to them.

¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one, each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out on his journey.

¹⁶ The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more.

¹⁷ The man who had received two made two more in the same way.

¹⁸ But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

¹⁹ Now a long time afterwards, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them.

²⁰ The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made."

²¹ His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."

²² Next the man with the two talents came forward. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made."

²³ His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."

²⁴ Last came forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir," said he, "I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered;

²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back."

²⁶ But his master answered him, "You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered?

²⁷ Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest.

²⁸ So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents.

²⁹ For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.

³⁰ As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

 Jesus is neither expressing a financial gaining nor advising to become a blue eyed but He treasures the meaning in it. This passage shows us how fear destroys a golden opportunity given. For some what the 3^rd servant did was right but when we go into the matter, we find it was done out of trepidation.  This can be applied to our lives too. Many a times we refuse to take over certain responsibilities in our own working place or institution and pass the ball for we are not sure about the consequences so that we arrive at a point to say it is better not to involve in this and that and let others suffer. Ultimately we become pew lover as monks than serving people outside.  We are to go beyond ourselves and convictions to commit ourselves for the service of God and this is the vocation that we unwrap. 

            God has given us talents and abilities which we are expected to develop. The landowner gives the money and sets out. Those days, there were no proper transportation and therefore, no one knew when the master returns so that they have to be ready and productive always.  He gives works according to our capacity. In Jewish tradition, Jewish money changers were not allowed to charge interest from a fellow Jew therefore; they had to invest the money out and get it multiplied which we see in today’s Gospel. And this shows us the need of evangelization. We must go among the people what good is there in preaching to faithful where there are people outside with no knowledge about Jesus.

            We see the third servant going and burying the money to rescue it from thieves. It is same with one buying a nice car and not using it because it would become dirty. What use? It does not mean that the man who got more money is talented or rather the one who got more talents is worthier before God than one who got less. But it depends on how we use that is given.